Conclusions

Conclusion 1: Collaboration. Levels of interaction across the accountability ecosystem are largely consistent between the baseline and endline, despite emerging challenges related to civic space in Nigeria. This is due in part to a relatively small time period between the baseline and the endline data collection, and in part to the stability of the On Nigeria activity. As noted in the baseline analysis and confirmed here, robust and effective collaboration involving a number of actors is already present. Based on this analysis this is a positive conclusion and a reflection of the On Nigeria model’s success.

Conclusion 2: Collaboration. On Nigeria’s cohort model appears to function well and to have benefits that reach beyond any of the individual cohorts. As noted especially in the Collaboration subsection of this report, the cohort model provides a strong framework for collaboration. The cohort promotes collaborations among organizations of different types and with different purposes. This makes the cohort a key facilitator of organizational learning and bringing together complementary skills from different organizations.

The cohorts facilitated at least quarterly meetings among their membership which helped maintain ongoing, long-term interactions among those members. This helps partners understand how to work with each other which can be among the biggest challenges to a successful partnership.

The cohorts’ impact reaches beyond their grantee members because the grantee and non-grantee interactions are extensive which helps promote learning and resource sharing across organizations. FGDs also highlighted the positive awareness of the cohorts by non-grantees. Intentionally engaging non-grantees via the cohorts could help to mobilize more resources for anticorruption efforts in the future.

Conclusion 3: Diversity. The accountability ecosystem spans the country and is made up of a diverse array of organizations, primarily working on the voice side of accountability. The members of the accountability ecosystem work across the country. They are primarily headquarters in the administrative centers of Lagos, Abuja, and Kano where they are also most active. Its actors consist of INGOs, NGOs, MDAs, and private businesses. It is primarily made up NGOs that work on the voice side of the accountability equation. The MDAs on the teeth side are less well represented. The baseline analysis identified the importance of strategically engaging teeth actors to increase their numbers and their involvement across the network. The endline confirms that their numbers did not increase which may hinder how successful voice actors can be if there are not enough willing MDAs to respond to increased demand for accountability.

Conclusion 4: Diversity. Historically marginalized groups play a role in anticorruption but could be more intentionally included. Historically marginalized groups are represented in the accountability ecosystem, and On Nigeria grantees have made efforts to include them in efforts. Additional efforts, such as, ensuring materials are accessible in local languages or that points of view from marginalized groups are included could be valuable. Nonetheless, GESI actors remain rather peripheral in the network with the exception of organizations like WSCIJ and CODE. Efforts to expand their interactions with more actors could see more GESI-infused work and broaden the participation more generally of historically marginalized groups like women, youth, and people with disabilities.

Conclusion 5: Adaptive resilience. Organizational partnerships can be challenging. In overcoming the challenges organizations are iteratively learning from each other and adapting their approaches. Organizations take time and invest effort in building relationships and trust with partners. This was found to be true during the baseline as well as the endline. Existing rivalries, who takes credit for success or takes the blame for failure hinder open collaboration and are issues that exist in the background of even the best partnerships. These pressures also resulted in organizations adapting and finding creative solutions to inter-organizational dynamics. One example was the creation of a steering committee to relieve pressure on any one organization. Another organization shifted the tone of “naming and shaming” to “knowing and showing” to allow them to share information with the public about which MDA was responsible for public services. These examples of adaptation and resilience are small but will have a big impact over time.

Conclusion 6: Institutionalization. Actors in the network are actively working to see that governmental and non-governmental actors have the necessary capacity to ensure accountability work continues past the end of On Nigeria. Grantees highlighted the extent of their training and capacity building of staff at MDAs and ACAs in FGDs. These staff are learning valuable skills to manage systems and use tools to integrate accountabililty into their programs. This work also leads organizations to scale their initiatives either by expanding their geographic reach or by deepening their partnerships with MDAs or ACAs. The examples of successfully institutionalizing systems and digital tools at the EFCC, ICPC, NBA, and the Borno State Judicial System are tangible victories for the accountability ecosystem, and others should learn from their successes to continue these gains.

Conclusion 7: Scale. Ecosystem actors are effectively scaling their successful initiatives. In some cases this scaling happen vertically and in others it happens horizontally. Successful anticorruption initiatives are being scaled. FGD participants provided examples of this happening organically as well as through intentional design. Initiatives have been scaled to different states to widen the reach of successful efforts, as highlighted by the scaling of a transparency and integrity index that is being brought to additional MDAs. Intentionally designing and planning for scale has proven successful when partnering with an MDA to track nationwide initiatives, for example.